"Larry almost wrote a song today. He wrote a song about his bed, but it hasn't been made up yet." OK, so we lied about no Bob Dylan jokes...
• It was one of the most audacious rock tours ever pulled off - just. As the
'60s turned into a glowing ember, promoters Ken Walker and Thor Eaton dreamed of a train carrying some of the greatest artists of the decade across Canada. The 1970 TransContinental Pop Festival was just that, and now, according to Jam! Music, rock producer Eddie Kramer is preparing a documentary for release.
Featuring Janis Joplin, the Band, the Grateful Dead, Delaney & Bonnie, Ten Years After, and Traffic, a Canadian National Railroad train took the tour 2,150 miles from Toronto to Calgary, Alberta. Partying was so hard on the train that the Band's Rick Danko actually got off the train, thought the better of it, and then flagged it down so he could get back on. Jerry Garcia even was an engineer for a day.
Describing the film as "my current nemesis" to the Canadian Web site, Kramer said the documentary "has been an ongoing saga for 3 1/2 years, and we are very close to making the final deal." More than 85 hours of footage were shot of performances and shenanigans. Added Kramer, "The footage was good. It is in pristine shape ... I am going to be massaging the sound and making it great."
• Pity poor Kenny Loggins. Having serenaded golfers with his theme from Caddyshack ("I'm Alright"), he found himself in a bit of a situation in the rough last week. It seems Loggins went wandering into the Hawaiian jungle ... and didn't come back. He had fallen into a gully, with only a half-bottle of water, a papaya, and a towel to sustain him. His wife and kids raised the alarm, but although a search was instigated, Loggins hobbled out of the jungle safe and well.
• Mark your calendars for the new Madonna album. Having already been pirated on the Internet, Music will be released on September 19, with the title track appearing as a single in early August. The VH1.com news desk will breathe a sigh of relief, as we no longer have to appear as if our lives were somehow deprived without the latest pantings of the Material Girl. We can also stop listening to that wretched "American Pie" now.
• More pop star movie mania. Remember Mariah Carey's forthcoming project All That Glitters? Well now you can add Carey's pal Da Brat to the cast list. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Da Brat will play Louise, a pal of the character played by Carey. Sounds like a stretch. Said Brat, "I'm really excited to land this role in this particular movie. It is something I've wanted and worked hard for the last two years, and this is even better because of my friendship with Mariah." We sat through Battlefield Earth, so bring it on.
• Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake would like everyone to know that they are not getting engaged, after a British Sunday newspaper reported the story. Their mutual statement said, "Contrary to what has been erroneously reported, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are neither engaged nor married. The story, which began in the British tabloid The News of the World is, not surprisingly, completely without merit." Still, we bet the lawyers would love to get working on a pre-nup.
• Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst isn't expecting any problems at tonight's show in Detroit, the first on their free Napster-sponsored outing. "You put people in an environment like Woodstock, and something like that might happen, but not here. We're giving them water, food, taking care of everybody. People are bringing their own food. Everything is going to be fine. You know, no problems here, just Cypress Hill and Limp Bizkit rocking the house for free." They've also done a deal with Domino's, so those waiting on line get free pizza. We'll take ours with pineapple, please.
• Lil' Kim's small but perfectly formed bod is causing the Milwaukee Postal Service to get hot under the collar, especially since it graces the cover of Genre magazine wearing only a bra and panties. The Postal Service says it will only mail out the magazine if the publisher puts it in a brown wrapper. The publisher isn't too happy, saying it is being discriminated against because it's a gay magazine.
• Legendary Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is getting some heavy help for his first solo album, due for release on October 10. According to his label Divine Recordings, Iommi will include appearances by Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl, Henry Rollins, Ian Astbury of the Cult, Seri Tankian from System of a Down, and Phil Anselmo of Pantera. Believe us when we tell you we can't wait.
• This week's U2 album rumor. Now a spokesman for Interscope says the long-awaited follow-up to Pop will be out October 31. Bono once described the album as "four people playing in a room." Judging by the wait, they've been playing for a damned long time.
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