Music News

George Harrison has been honoured by The Beach Boys' Mike Love on his 71st birthday today (25.02.14).
The late Beatles' musician has been remembered by his friend with a previously unreleased track, 'Pisces Brothers', which was inspired by the Famous Four's trip to India with Mike in 1968, after they received an invitation from the Maharishi, Mahesh Yogi.
In a statement, Mike said: "This being the 50th anniversary of The Beatles coming to America, I wanted to commemorate this incredibly significant trip we all took together to India, at the Maharishi's invitation.
Mike described the trip as "enormously influential" for him and George, who died of cancer in 2001, and his band mates - Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon.
They were also joined by songwriter Donovan and American actress, Mia Farrow, and attended an advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) training session.
Mike, 72, said: "The song is really sentimental for me, and meant to honour George Harrison's remarkable contribution to music. And how, in this one moment in time, we got together, as the song says, not fortune or for fame, but for enlightenment."
The title of the song makes reference to the astrological sign the pair share, while Mike continues to practice the meditation techniques he was taught during his trip to India.

Boy George has confessed he was beaten up in the early 80s because of his androgynous style.
The Culture Club singer - who is openly gay - says he was attacked in public by people who disagreed with his choice of lifestyle and his penchant for experimenting with gender stereotypes when it came to make-up and clothes.
Recalling the early New Romantic movement, he told MOJO Magazine: "Sometimes I got kicked and punched. I remember once on a bus on London Bridge, this Teddy Boy kicked me in the face. I was bleeding everywhere and nobody did anything, 'cos it was like, 'punk'. People weren't very sympathetic. But I also think when you're that young, you don't give a sh*t. You sort of feel like you have this right to be who you are."
George - who was in Malcolm McLaren's band Bow Wow Wow but was fired and then joined Culture Club - admits his 20s and the start of his pop career were the some of the happiest years of his life.
However, the 52-year-old musician admits his lifestyle did freak his family out at first.
He said: "I was having the time of my life. Really all I cared about was getting off with boys and dressing up and having my photograph taken ... My mum and dad, when I started dressing up, it really freaked them out. But then once I'd started doing it, they really weren't bothered and they just let me do it. To be honest I was just making it up as I went along. When I look back now I don't know how I crossed the road let alone had a career."

Sam Smith melted hearts during a sold-out show at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire last night (24.02.14).
The 21-year-old singer, whose debut single 'Money On Mind' went straight to the top of the UK Single's Chart last week, took to the stage for the second date of his major European tour.
The star told the crowd: "I can't believe I'm doing this, it's ridiculous, this is my dream venue to play" and said the performance took his career to "another level."
Playing a set full of hit collaborations and material from his debut album, 'The Lonely Hour', he looked comfortable on stage, wearing his trademark long black coat, crucifix earring and white shoes.
His live band kicked things off with R 'n' B grooves, as gospel backing singers matched his note-perfect vocals and he sang 'Leave Your Lover' and 'I'm Not The Only One'.
Sam, who won this year's BRITs Critics' Choice award, talked about his EP 'Nirvana', before telling fans sat above the stage that he'd left them chocolates because they had to sit in "sh*t seats".
His vocal ability live is incredible and the show wasn't predictably full of ballads, as he told fans to get on their feet and dance to some of his new tracks.
Although he did talk about the lonely theme of his new album, out in May, and said: "Things are gonna get really depressing now", as he explained his album was about never having been in a relationship.
He then blew the audience away with his version of the Arctic Monkeys' 'Do I Wanna Know?', before singing 'Latch', 'Money On My Mind' and the upbeat 'La La La', before his stand-out ballad 'Lay Me Down' for the encore.
Sam then announced his new single, 'Stay With Me', as he closed the show. It's bound to be another big hit.

Michael Jackson's unreleased music is being used to help launch a new smartphone.
The late King of Pop's track, 'Slave 2 The Rhythm', will be given away with the new Sony Xperia Z2, which is set to rival Samsung's Galaxy S5 model.
Sony announced a tie-up with Michael's estate, allowing them to use his music to promote the release.
The track featured as part of a 90-second video shown at the launch at the world's biggest mobile trade fair in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday (24.02.14).
But fans were quick to point out that the 'Billie Jean' hitmaker's song has been around for some time and were left unimpressed and desperate to hear new music.
One Twitter user wrote: "Ooooohhhh the disappointment!!!! Why not just release a new album!!! You have the material too! @michaeljackson [sic]"
Another fan responded, posting: "Exactly!! I got the song back in 2010, I have 3 different versions of that song, hah! [sic]"
A version of the track, featuring 'Boyfriend' hitmaker Justin Bieber, appeared online last year, but Michael's estate had it removed from YouTube and other websites claiming it hadn't been authorised.
The song was also leaked online in 2010, a year after the 50-year-old singer died from "acute propofol intoxication".
In a statement, Michael's estate said: "The Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records are very excited about the partnership with Sony Mobile announced this morning [Monday] at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
"We are thrilled with the use of the new solo Michael Jackson recording, 'Slave 2 The Rhythm', which is featured in the 90 second online spot for the new Xperia Z2 phone."

The Who singer Roger Daltrey is working on a film based on the life of his late bandmate Keith Moon.
The 69-year-old musician has resurrected a script written many years ago by John Lahr - who was responsible for the 1978 biography of playwright Joe Orton - and is hoping to get the project in development soon.
Daltrey wanted Robert Downey Jr. wanted to play the hellraising drummer but currently has no idea who will bring his friend to life on screen.
He told the new issue of Q magazine: "I'm back on it, and I'm back to the very first draft of the script , which I've always loved and which was written by John Lahr. I don't know who is going to play Keith, but it has to become someone new. Twenty years ago I had Robert Downey Jr. lined up. I had the whole damn thing down, but the script was only 60 percent there, and all people wanted at the time was 'Carry On Keith'."
Moon died in 1978 at the age of 32 from an accidental overdose of clomethiazole pills, which he had been prescribed to help him beat effects of alcohol withdrawal.
Daltrey - who is set to perform a series of concerts with Pete Townshend this year for what is being billed as The Who's farewell tour - also admitted he often thinks about his other late bandmate, bassist John Entwistle, and misses his friend's humour.
However, the 'My Generation' singer does concede that Entwistle's death from a heart attack in 2002 aged 57 - one day before The Who's 2002 American tour was due to kick-off - was very "rock 'n' roll".
The bass guitarist passed away in a hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas after going to bed with stripper Alycen Rowse following a night out which had involved cocaine use.
Daltrey said: "John crops up in my thoughts all the time. I wish I'd recorded some of our conversations, because John would say very little but every 15 minutes there'd be one priceless comedy line. It was such a rock 'n' roll death, though, wasn't it? Two lines of coke and a bird in the Hard Rock! He was probably eating a hamburger as well, though where he was eating it from, who knows?"

Gary Barlow has asked fans to send him home movies to be shown in his latest music video.
The 43-year-old singer wants members of the public to submit films showing them overcoming adversity, which will appear in the new video for his track, 'Since I Saw You Last'.
According to The Sun newspaper, the song will be released in April and tells the story of Gary's struggle to become a successful solo artist after Take That split in the 1996.
The song will follow the singer's tracks 'Let Me Go' and 'Face to Face' from his first full solo album in 14 years, 'Since I Saw You Last', which has already been certified double platinum.
Gary and band mates - Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen - also have plans to release their seventh studio album later this year before kicking off their tour in 2015.
Meanwhile, former band mate Robbie Williams, 39, has hinted he will not rejoin Take That for another tour.
He said: "We did a great tour together and I'm so grateful for that. I made friends with people I'd been friends with but then had stopped being, so that re-connection was great."
Robbie initially left the band in 1995 while the remaining members completed their world tour.
They reunited as a four-piece in 2006 and were joined by Robbie in 2010 for their sixth studio album, 'Progress'.

Nile Rodgers and Chic are closing Bestival 2014.
The legendary band have been chosen to headline the UK festival on the Sunday evening (07.09.14) and they are "excited" to have been bestowed the honour.
'Le Freak' hitmaker Nile commented: "I'm so excited to be back at Bestival, this time in the prestigious Sunday night headliner slot following legends Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Expect an extra special Desert Island Disco set from myself and Chic! Looking forward to seeing you all in September."
The disco group - who are currently working on a new album - will join fellow headliners OutKast, Beck and Foals at the Isle of Wight-based event, which boasts a tropical Desert Island Disco theme this year.
Rob da Bank, the festival's organiser, enthused: "Ever since I first booked Chic and Nile for Bestival a few years back they have hands down been the best live band we've ever had at Bestival and Camp Bestival.
"And once people start realising how many hits Nile has written and produced for artists ranging from Madonna and David Bowie through to Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' you realise this is just one huge disco jukebox that is gonna keep firing out the hits all night!"
"I'm over the moon that Nile and the crew are going to wrap up our Desert Island Disco Finale with a damn funky, glittery bang. Everybody Dance!"
The Bestival 2014 line-up also includes the likes of Sam Smith, Disclosure, Major Lazer and Busta Rhymes.

Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner was "nervous" delivering his BRITs acceptance speech.
The frontman, whose band picked up awards for Best Group and Best Album for their record 'AM' last week, ranted on stage that rock 'n' roll will "never die" but claims he was just worried about speaking in front of a large audience.
He told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "In public I'm a quiet guy, so doing anything in front of lots of people always makes me nervous.
"I'm known for my music, not how well I deliver a speech. People always assume if you're in a band that's been on the scene for ages that you're going to be really confident, but that's not true at all."
The band - including Jamie Cook, Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders - also performed on the night, after which Alex, 28, accepted the accolades.
He told the crowd: "Rock'n' roll, it just won't go away. It might hibernate from time to time, sink back into the swamp. I think the cyclical nature of the universe in which it exists demands it adheres to some of its rules.
He added: "But it's always waiting there, just around the corner, ready to make its way back through the sludge and smash through the glass ceiling, looking better than ever."

Damon Albarn insists it's "not a given" he has now become a solo artist.
The Blur singer, who is set to release his first solo album 'Everyday Robots' on April 28, waited 25 years to put out his own record and thought it might never happen.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: "I just never imagined it was something I'd do. Who doesn't love playing in a band? It's f**ing brilliant. The best. Maybe I was just subconsciously avoiding a solo album.
"You could say that I'm embarking on a new stage in my life, but really I could turn around next time and do something else. So it's not a given that I've become a solo artist."
The 45-year-old singer claims it's the most "collaborative record" he's ever worked on, having joined forces with XL Recordings boss, Richard Russell.
He said: "We wanted to keep exploring what we were doing. We had the inevitable conversation about starting a band. It was fun to come up with concepts and names, but one day he came in and said, 'Look, if you ask me what I want to do, I want to produce you.' And I went, 'Alright, I suppose that means I've got to put it out under my own name.' Some of the songs just came from the two of us experimenting in the studio."
Damon will play a number of intimate London gig to launch his solo debut, at the Rivioli Ballroom in Crofton Park on April 30, followed by People's Palace in Mile End on May 1.
The singer will also be honoured with the NME Award for Innovation at this year's NME Awards with Austin, Texas. The Blur frontman will pick up the award in person on tomorrow (26.02.14) at the London's O2 Academy, Brixton.