Beatles' George Harrison Refused Royal Honor

But the Daily Mail quotes journalist Ray Connolly saying: "Whoever it was who decided to offer him the OBE and not the knighthood was extraordinarily insensitive. George would have felt insulted – and with very good reason." more on this story

91-Year-Old Actor Makes Chart History With Metal Song

(Classic Rock) Iconic movie actor Sir Christopher Lee made music chart history this week when his seasonal metal song Jingle Hell entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 22.

That makes him the oldest person to record a hit single and the oldest living person to have a chart hit. At 91 years and six months when he recorded the track, he's far ahead of previous record-holder Tony Bennet, who was 85 when he recorded Body And Soul with late pop star Amy Winehouse in 2011.

Lee – best known for playing Saruman in The Lord Of The Rings, Dracula in a series of Hammer movies, James Bond villain Scaramanga and Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man – previously described Jingle Hell as "a bit naughty, entertaining and certainly different."

Now he comments: "Wonderful news! I want to thank everyone involved, especially the fans. I have spent my career surprising people, so here's to the next one." Check out a video here.

Johnny Cash Lost Album Preview Goes Online

(Gibson) A trailer for the forthcoming "lost" Johnny Cash album, Out Among the Stars, has been posted online. The album comprises 12 previously unheard tracks and will be out on March 24, 2014. The songs, which were recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1981 and 1111 Sound Studios in 1984, were discovered by his son John Carter Cash at the Sony Music Archives.

John Carter Cash says: "When my parents passed away, it became necessary to go through this material. We found these recordings that were produced by Billy Sherrill in the early 1980s… they were beautiful." He pressed the tracks despite Cash's then label Columbia's original refusal to release the tapes in the '80s. "We were like, 'My goodness, this is a beautiful record that nobody has ever heard.'"

The songs include duets with Johnny's wife June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings, while Marty Stuart – a member of Cash's backing band – has been quoted as saying that he was "in the very prime of his voice for his lifetime" and that Cash sounds "pitch perfect" on the recordings. Watch the album preview here.

Iron Maiden To Be A Game Show Focus

(TeamRock Radio) Former Million Dead and Mongol Horde frontman Frank Turner will appear on an edition of Celebrity Mastermind next week to answer questions on Iron Maiden.

Turner lines up against punk poet John Cooper Clarke, entertainer Roy Hudd and actor Ben Faulks on the special edition of the quiz show, which will be broadcast on BBC1 on Friday, January 3 at 7pm.

Answering fan queries Turner says: "I am going on the show, yes. Actually, going on Mastermind has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I'm such a dork..."

In the long-running show contestants are seated under a spotlight on a black leather chair and asked general knowledge questions against the clock. more on this story

Glenn Hughes Collaborates With Julian Lennon On Upcoming Album

(Classic Rock) Glenn Hughes has completed work on a new album, tentatively scheduled for release in May. And he's credited Julian Lennon with helping put together his first band since the spectacular collapse of Black Country Communion in 2012.

Hughes hasn't released much information about his new project yet, but he's confirmed one track will feature a duet between him and Lennon. He reports: "Jules is the one who helped me put our new band together. He and I are singing together on the album. Trust me: he's the real dang deal."

In a question-and-answer session on Twitter recently, former Deep Purple and Black Sabbath man Hughes told fans: "Black Country Communion is gone for ever. It will live for ever in my heart, but I have now moved on." more on this story

Aerosmith's Joe Perry Reveals Autobiography Release Date

(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has revealed that he will publish his autobiography next year. "Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith" sees Perry team up with author David Ritz, who has written books with B.B. King, Jerry Wexler and Bettye LaVette.

"Another Christmas gift to all," posted Perry in a message to fans. "I finished ALL the edits on my autobiography last night. Due out on Simon & Schuster Oct. 5th 2014."

"I expect there will be a fair amount about me and Steven [Tyler], considering I've spent a good part of my life with him and three other guys," Perry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the memoir while he was still in the early stages of the project. more on this story

Dream Theater Offer Free Download For Christmas

(Prog) Dream Theater have given fans a Christmas present in the form of a free download containing 13 live tracks. The package, totaling two CDs worth of material, is available via a torrent file.

The tracks were recorded during the band's A Dramatic Tour Of Events stops in London, Montreal, Tel Aviv, Phoenix, Austin, Shibuya and Huntingdon.

The band say: "It's because of all of you that A Dramatic Tour Of Events was such a success. We enjoyed playing to you all each and every night on the road. As a special then you, we're releasing a compilation of live tracks that were not included on Live At Luna Park.

"With these you have a complete documentation of all the songs that were played during the tour, with the exception of cover songs. Happy holidays!" more on this story

Marilyn Manson To Headline First Alt-Fest

(TeamRock Radio) Marilyn Manson will headline the inaugural Alt-Fest in Northamptonshire in August – and it's the shock-rock icon's only UK festival appearance in 2014.

Manson will close proceedings on the Saturday. Other acts already confirmed include Arch Enemy, Killing Joke, Cradle Of Filth, Fields Of The Nephelim.

Organiser Dominic Void says: "We like to be groundbreaking and we promised our supporters a massive Christmas present – here it is. We're ecstatic to have booked Marilyn Manson to headline for our first year." more on this story

Eric Clapton Reveals New Band And 2014 Tour Dates

(hennemusic) Eric Clapton has announced the lineup of his new live band and a series of 2014 tour dates. Clapton's new touring group features a mix of some familiar faces from recent tours and some old friends.

Joining Eric on stage will be Nathan East (bass), Steve Gadd (drums), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Paul Carrack (keyboards), Sharon White (backing vocals) and Michelle John (backing vocals).

The guitar legend will kick off a Japanese tour on February 18 at Tokyo's most famous venue, the Nippon Budokan; he'll play three shows there and another four in the country before dates in Singapore and UAE. more on this story

Zakk Wylde Shares Classic Ozzy Osbourne Christmas Special Video

(hennemusic) Guitarist Zakk Wylde is sharing some classic video from his days working with Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde has re-posted a clip of Ozzy and himself doing video intros on a past MTV Headbangers Ball Christmas Special.

The pair can be seen clowning around while introducing videos by KISS and Anthrax.Wylde has worked with Ozzy on and off through the years, since first joining his solo band back in 1987.

The guitarist appeared on all Ozzy solo releases from 1988's "No Rest For The Wicked" to 2007's "Black Rain." Wylde went on to form Pride & Glory and Black Label Society. Check out the Christmas video here.

Wilko Johnson Guests On The Urban Voodoo Machine's New Single

(Classic Rock) Wilko Johnson has teamed up with "gypsy bop'n'stroll" band The Urban Voodoo Machine for new single Help Me Jesus, which is out now. The terminally-ill guitarist recorded with the band in September – the night after he'd been given a lifetime achievement award by Elton John.

UVM mainman Paul-Ronney Angel says: "The fact that Wilko had been at the Royal Opera House the night before, and now he was kicking out the jams with us, swigging lager out of a can in a cramped backstreet East London studio, should be testament enough to how great a man he is.

"I've been a massive fan of Wilko for years and was really keen to work with him. I wanted to create a raw and exciting vibe for these recordings, and I am very pleased we got it. What you hear is six musicians playing live in a room with only some horns, harmonica and fiddle overdubbed for extra spice."

View a video of the recording session here.

Foo Fighters Plan Super Bowl Cruise Ship Jam

(Gibson) The Foo Fighters will be all at sea ahead of America's 2014 Super Bowl in February by performing on a cruise ship docked on New York City's Hudson River.

Dave Grohl and co will take to the stage aboard the unique venue on February 1st, one day before American football's biggest game of the season.

The Foo Fighters will play with special guests the Zac Brown Band –Grohl is producer on the Zac Brown Band's latest release. The Roots, featuring guitarist Kirk Douglas and his Gibson SG, will also play on the ship. Run D.M.C, and Imagine Dragons will also perform. Bruno Mars is the half-time performer during the game itself. more on this story

Rush Reveal Comic Book Series Details

(Gibson) Canadian rockers Rush have announced that they are getting ready to release a six part comic book series through Boom! Studios starting in March. Clockwork Angels is based on Rush drummer Neil Peart's lyrics for the band's 2012 album of the same name. "It's just a beautifully painted world in the music that I tried to capture in the novel and now tried to turn into a different direction," said author Kevin J. Anderson about writing the comic book in an interview with USA Today.

Apparently the idea of a comic book was something Peart and Anderson had been kicking around for quite some time: "Kevin and I had talked for years about combining a novel and an album in some fashion, but I guess the idea had to grow up as Kevin and I did - gaining maturity and confidence in our own separate crafts, while gaining the life experience necessary to give the story its scale and depth," said Peart.

According to Anderson the comic book will contain "Easter eggs" with references to various Rush albums in its illustrations: "We think Rush fans are attentive and intelligent," said Anderson. "It just gives them the extra thrill of seeing that this isn't just a straightforward story. There's a lot of interconnected things, too." more on this story

KISS Frontman Paul Stanley's Autobiography Coming in April

(Gibson) Paul Stanley is getting ready to follow in the footsteps of the other original members of Kiss. Shortly after it was announced that Kiss will be inducted in to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next year, Stanley announced that he will release his autobiography around that same time.

During an interview on Nikki Sixx' radio show Sixx Sense in November last year, Stanley spoke of the book, which was then in the process of being written. Judging by his comments it does sound like Paul approached the project with a bit of self awareness (via Blabbermouth):

"Autobiographies, for the most part, to me, are like writing a love letter to yourself," Stanley said, before stating "How objective can you be when you are writing about yourself."

Regarding the other three original Kiss members' books, Stanley jokingly said: "It's kind of like, 'OK, have you all said your piece? OK? Now let me tell you what happened.'"

Whether the "Starchild" comes off as more honest in his approach is up to the reader to decide when Face The Music: A Life Exposed is released on April 22. more on this story

Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery 40th Anniversary Special

(ITS) Syndicated radio show In The Studio's latest episode celebrates Progressive Rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 40th anniversary of their 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery.

Guests Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer each had a hand in actually defining the Prog Rock sound, albeit individually in separate bands, Emerson as a keyboard innovator with The Nice; Greg Lake writing and singing on the 1969 King Crimson groundbreaker In the Court of the Crimson King; and Carl Palmer exhibiting power and space-filling percussion in the trio Atomic Rooster.

ELP's fourth studio album and biggest seller Brain Salad Surgery is an eclectic adventurous collection, starting with the album opener "Jerusalem" featuring lyrics by English poet William Blake; the over-the-top synthesizer and electronic percussion in "Toccata" occurs while re-interpreting Argentinian composer Albert Ginestera's "First Piano Concerto, 4th Movement"; "Still You Turn Me On" continues the gorgeous Greg Lake ballads; and the album centerpiece "Karn Evil 9″ was uncannily prescient by predicting the Computer Age a full four decades ago according to Greg Lake talking to InTheStudio host Redbeard.

"This "Karn Evil 9" thing is basically about computers, the way computers take people over. In fact, there was a lot of foresight, now come to think of it. Although computers weren't new at that time, the extent to which they have become dominant throughout society was something that I must say we foresaw at the time. And I think the line was 'Load your program, I am yourself' ". Check out the episode here.

Blues Pills Releasing Live At Rockpalast EP

(The Blues Blues Pills will release an EP entitled Live At Rockpalast on February 14, they've confirmed. The rising-star outfit appeared on the iconic German TV show in October, and four tracks from the performance will be made available on CD and vinyl.

The American-Swedish-French quartet explain: "We wanted to give our fans a piece of the Blues Pills live experience. Thanks to Rockpalast for letting us release some of the material from the show."

Blues Pills released a studio EP, Devil Man, in October. View a video of their delivery of that track "Black Smoke" on the show here.

Crashdiet Earn Swedish Grammi Nomination

(Classic Rock) Crashdiet's fourth album The Savage Playground has gained them a nomination in the Swedish Grammi awards. They're named in the Best Rock And Metal Performance category alongside Ghost, Watain, Nicke Borg Homeland and The Kristet Utseende.

It's the glam outfit's second-ever nomination, and follows the album's entry at number two in the Swedish charts on release earlier this year. Guitarist Martin Sweet says:

"It's a fantastic feeling when you reach that high on the chart. It confirms that our fanbase is growing every year and we're tremendously thankful for that." more on this story

Arcade Fire To Headline Glastonbury Festival

(Gibson) Arcade Fire have posted a new image on Twitter which confirms that the band will be one of 2014's headliners at England's Glastonbury Festival on June 27.

It won't affect ticket sales, as Glastonbury 2014 is already sold-out.But it will be part of a huge touring year for the Canadian band.

Arcade Fire start in New Zealand in January 2014 and finish in Canada in August 2014. Dates include Australia/New Zealand's Big Day Out and Lollapalooza in South America. more on this story

Martin Scorsese Plucks Blues Band From Obscurity

(The Blues Los Angeles blues-rock duo 7Horse are poised on the edge of the big-time after movie mogul Martin Scorsese asked for permission to use one of their tracks in the soundtrack to his latest film.

Meth Lab Zoso Sticker, appears in the film The Wolf Of Wall Street, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as disgraced financier Jordan Belfort. 7Horse drummer and vocalist Phil Leavitt admits he'll probably never know how their music came to be chosen.

He says: "We got an email in the summer from the lawyer who was clearing the music. It came out of the blue, and I still to this day don't know how Martin Scorsese or his people heard it, or who found it.

"I dug into it a bit and found out that Scorsese finds a lot of his own music for his movies. Maybe they heard it on satellite radio." More including the song.

Riverside Announce European Spring Tour

(Prog) Riverside will return to the UK in April for a string of live dates as part of a wider European tour. The Polish outfit continue to promote their fifth album, Shrine Of New Generation Slaves, which was released in January.

The band say: "The New Generation Tour is not over – due to the huge interest, and also due to the fact that some people are only getting to know us, we're going to play for you in a few more places in April.

"Obviously there will be changes in the setlist, and lots of surprises. These shows will be the last ones before a longer break. After them we'll hide in the studio to work on our sixth album." more on this story

Muse Aiming For Next Christmas For New Single

(Prog) Muse are working on material for their next album, but frontman Matt Bellamy says it's not likely to appear until 2015, with the first single possibly coming out next Christmas.

The band are planning to take some time off in the new year after working hard to support the release of sixth record The 2nd Law, meaning their next release of material won't happen until the end of 2014.

"I've written some good tracks, actually. We haven't had a chance to rehearse them yet," Bellamy tells Triple J. "We'll take a break next year for a few months, then we'll get in the studio. If it all goes well the new album could well be early 2015 or late 2015. Christmas 2014 might be our next single." more on this story

Half Loon Release Reverie Video

(Prog) Rising-star prog outfit Half Loon have released a new music video for their second single, Reverie, which is set to officially be released as a single early next year.

The band are led by Daniel Pickard, who closed down a promising solo career to concentrate on the group project, inspired by influences including Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd.

Reverie is released as a single on February 3 via RIP Records. It follows their self-released debut track Swearword, which turned heads when it appeared in September. Watch the video here.

Schnauser Go Italian For Christmas

(Prog) Psych-prog Bristol quartet Schnauser have a Christmas song to share with you. Titled Buon Natale, it's just them showing off by saying Happy Christmas in Italian.

Frontman Alan Strawbridge – calling himself Al Fresco for this season only – tells Prog that the follow-up to last album (and cult smash) Where Business Meets Fashion is expected January 2015.

Which is a bit far away in the future to be honest, but never mind. Enjoy this in the meantime, con gusto! Listen to the festive new track here.

Queen Send Out Christmas Wishes To Fans

(hennemusic) Queen have posted a holiday message for fans this season. The group are sharing a holiday card featuring the band members airborne in a sleigh, along with the message, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our wonderful @QueenWillRock fans across the globe!"

Queen recently released a limited edition 6 DVD box set that features four concerts, including "Live At Wembley Stadium – 25th Anniversary Edition", "Queen Rock Montreal", "On Fire: Live At The Bowl", and "Live In Rio."

Exclusive to this package, "Live In Rio" features the band performing at the "Rock In Rio" festival in January 1985 in front of 250,000 fans. Check out the Christmas image here.

Eddie Van Halen Offers Christmas Message and Image To Fans

(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen has posted a holiday message for fans. "Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," he wrote. "May 2014 bring you love, health and happiness."

Eddie's message came complete with an image of a Christmas tree fully decked out in miniature versions of his various guitars, a wall of EVH amps, and his dog, Kody.

Van Halen wrapped up their "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour in July. The band's latest album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 187,000.

"A Different Kind Of Truth" was denied a No. 1 entry when Adele's smash "21" record enjoyed a massive sales bump due to the 2012 Grammy Awards, where she swept her 6 categories and doubled her sales from a week earlier to retain top spot.

Check out the Christmas image here.

Black Sabbath Reveal Handwritten Lyrics To Peace Of Mind

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have posted handwritten lyrics to "Peace Of Mind", a track from the band's latest album, "13." It's the latest in a series of handwritten lyric images the legendary metal band has published online recently.

The band's new live DVD, "Black Sabbath: Live… Gathered In Their Masses", debuted recently at No. 2 on the Top Music Videos chart with opening week sales of around 9,000 copies in the United States.

The set features the band recorded over two shows – April 29 and May 1 – in Melbourne, Australia during the early stages of the group's current world tour.

Black Sabbath will continue the tour in 2014, with more North American dates – including an extensive run across Canada – set to start March 31 in New York. See the lyrics image here.