NOT A 'KISS' FOR ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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| Gene Simmons |
KISS CRISIS --- Kiss won't rock and roll all night — or at any point during the day, either — when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, said the band on Sunday.
The 40-year-old group is unable to agree on which lineup should perform during the April 10th ceremony in New York City, and has decided not to plug in at all.
The dispute concerns whether original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would join Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in a live performance, or whether the current lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer would play instead.
In a message on its website, Kiss said it won't perform with any lineup, calling it "an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone."
"Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of Kiss and give credit to all members, including longtime present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view," the band wrote on its web site. "Although Kiss has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning."
The band made no mention of former guitarists Vinnie Vincent, who helped kick off the band's unmasked era, or Mark St. John, who was with the band briefly in 1984 and who died in 2007.
"It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in makeup and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced," Kiss wrote on its site. "To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up, and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame."
The ongoing dispute was brought to a boil when Frehley called into broadcaster Eddie Trunk's syndicated radio show Friday night to say that Simmons and Stanley had rejected a reunion with the original four members for the induction.
"They just shot down any type of reunion with us," Frehley said during the broadcast. "It's very frustrating. It's what the fans wanted, it's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted, and it's not gonna happen. You don't want to do something for the fans after 40 years of them supporting you?"
The band's statement said it has never refused to play with Frehley and Criss.
Criss did not indicate whether he would attend the induction; Frehley said he is unsure whether he'll be there.
Kiss started in 1973, and the original lineup played together until 1980. They reunited from 1996 to 2000, but the band has continued with replacement members wearing the Frehley and Criss makeup and costumes.
HEROES REBORN --- NBC helped kickstart the superhero TV trend in 2006 with Heroes, an X-Men-ish action-drama about a group of people with superhuman powers. Now the network is bringing back the show for a 13-episode event series to air in 2015. Original series creator Tim Kring is on board to run the show. Titled Heroes Reborn, the project is billed as a stand-alone story; the characters have not yet been announced.
“The enormous impact Heroes had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening,” said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. “Shows with that kind of resonance don't come around often and we thought it was time for another installment. We're thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept.”
The news seems to echo Fox rebooting its action franchise 24 for a limited series to launch in May, though NBC has long been fond of recycling prior TV hits — there have been short-lived new version of Bionic Woman, American Gladiators, Knight Rider, and the network had also developed (but not aired) new editions of Wonder Woman and Murder She Wrote.
Reviving Heroes, which was canceled four years ago, might be met with some mixed feelings by the show’s fans, however. The show got off to a strong start in both ratings and acclaim (averaging 14.5 million viewers its first season), then was widely considered to have creatively collapsed into a confused muddle and became a serialized TV cautionary tale. But with broadcast drama TV ratings on the decline, networks are increasingly turning to event series to grab attention, and brands that were canceled years ago now seem like potential hits even if they only deliver a large percentage of their previous audience. Plus, Heroes performed well on DVD, having sold more than 10 million units.
That first season of Heroes was particularly strong; not only because of the terrific writing, but also the great acting of Adrian Pasdar; Jack Coleman; Milo Ventimigli ; Ali Larter; a young Hayden Panettiere; and, a pre-Spock Zachary Quinto … all great roles and some stellar performances.
Now, the guessing game begins as to which original characters may return; I'd bet the farm of many of the original cast returning. The history is there; the familiarity too. Quinto, now a successful actor with the Star Trek-franchise firmly under his wing, might be the only hold-out; though, it'd be a neat trick for him to do it. He was, an awesome villain .... the visionary Sylar. Panettiere has the TV series Nashville ... so, she could be an issue too.
Personally, most of these re-boots never work. Look at Ironside ... it lasted 4 episodes! With creator Kring attached, this stands a much better chance. This show from episode one grabbed you … and, didn't let go. I am looking forward to it.
BOWIE WINS BIG ---David Bowie stole the show at last week’s Brit Awards – and not just by reclaiming the Best Male Solo Artist award he last won 30 years ago.
If it wasn't enough for the 67-year-old to snub the ceremony by failing to turn up, he sent an icon of equal measure to collect it on his behalf, and deliver a blunt political message.
Introduced by Noel Gallagher, supermodel Kate Moss – decked in an original Ziggy Stardust stage outfit from 1972 – read Bowie's acceptance speech saying: "In Japanese myth the rabbits from my old costume which Kate is wearing live on the moon. Kate comes Venus and I from Mars. I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the Best Male but I am, aren't I Kate? I think it's a great way to end the day, thank you very, very much," she said before adding: "And Scotland, stay with us."
This short but to-the-point comment makes Bowie the first high-profile pop star to wade into the Scottish independence row at a time when politicians are debating the pros and cons of a separate state ahead of the 18 September referendum. Bowie has become the oldest recipient of a Brit Award, taking over from Sir Tom Jones, who was given an honorary prize for his outstanding contribution to music in 2003 when he was 62.
Bowie won the prize after his comeback last year with album The Next Day, following an absence of 10 years. And, Moss who recently turned 40 had been chosen to collect the award personally by Bowie.
When announcing the award, Gallagher quipped: "You maniacs didn't think David Bowie would actually be here? He's too cool for that, so here's his representative on Earth."
CLOSING NOTES --- Piers Morgan appears ready to quit CNN come March. Morgan, who inherited the post when Larry King stepped down, never really connected with viewers and was quoted a saying “America turned their backs on me.” I actually did like Morgan; I never cared for him as a judge on America’s Got Talent, but feel he was an insightful interviewer. I well remember when he had Monkee-Micky Dolenz on, the day after Davy Jones passed. He was thoughtful, respectful and insightful. With his involvement in the U. K.-phone hacking trial, he became something of a pariah. Cheers Piers …
Liverpool band Focal Point were the first act signed to Apple in 1967 but The Beatles’ embryonic organization did not yet have a record label. The group signed to Apple Publishing with their single “Love You Forever” / “Sycamore Sid.”
In early 1968 they were one of the hottest prospects in British rock, named by Brian Epstein and praised by The Beatles, but as Apple turned sour so did the group’s fortunes. Much of their material was finally released in 2003’s 94 Baker Street compilation and their own well received 2005 CD First Bit of the Apple which is packed with pop-psych gems. Read the full article HERE.
With the return of Glee tomorrow on Fox, fans of the show and Adam Lambert devotees are getting more excited as sneak peeks emerge. The latest is an audio clip released today of Lambert and Colfer's cover of The Darkness’ "I Believe In A Thing Called Love."
When you combine a cool rock song with a stripper pole, and a kiss between Colfer and Lambert, you know the show is bound to be seismic.
The chemistry between Lambert and Colfer has been undeniable and hopefully Adam will be a recurring guest star for many future episodes.
The "Frenemies" episode airs on Tuesday, February 25, on FOX.
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